Probably the most asked question is “When is Jesus coming back”?  Three different times I have tried to answer that question in my blogs.  I felt led to once again address this question and have spent this week getting additional information.  Sunday morning I listened to Dr. Charles Stanley’s message on the same subject.   After hearing his sermon I feel inadequate to write this blog.  Yet, I feel I should try once again to answer that most asked question.

I wrote on Harold Camping of Family Stations radio and TV ministry who predicts Christ will come on May 21, 2011.  I wrote on the Mayan and Hopi’s predictions that the world ends on December 21, 2012.  My greatest fear is that when these days come and pass and nothing has changed non-believers will begin mocking Christians and Christianity as the Bible predicts.

Remember those who predicted that when January 1, 2000 occurred all computers would stop working and the government required all banks and financial institutions to replace and update computers and software.  We had three of the greatest years economically from 1997 through 1999.  When 2000 came and no one needed new equipment, we slowly went into a recession.  Well those who expected that on January 2000 doomsday would occur, have you heard from those millionaires since?  Do you still have the food that you were told you had to have on hand in order to survive?  Did you live in fear as one pastor who moved to Colorado?  He told me it would be safer there.

We have continually, over the years, had professing Christians, false teachers, predict when Christ would return.  Every time those dates have come and passed nothing unusual happened.  When are they going to read Scripture that says in Matthew 24:36 – 39 – “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.  For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

What do these false teachers not understand?  How can Christians become so deceived into believing that anyone knows when that day will come?  Because, they are deceived by the biggest deceiver of all—Satan.  Know the Bible and you will know what truth is.

The greatest ‘hope’ that any Christian has is that we know He is coming for us.  John 14:2 – 4 – “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

He could come at anytime and when he does it will be in an instant.  No one will expect it. II Peter 3:10a – “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief”.  The rapture can take place at anytime.  For those of us who believe in pre-tribulation, we do not have to see the signs preceding the tribulation or the lawless man to know Christ can come at anytime.  However, when all of the things leading up to the building of the Temple haven’t happened, it only assures us He hasn’t come yet.  But none of that has to occur for Jesus to return and rapture the church as most Christians believe.

If He comes to rapture the church are you ready?  Scripture tells us “we ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day Of God and speed its coming”.  This tells us not to be anxious and worry about when He comes, just be prepared.  II Thessalonians 2:15 – “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teaching we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.”

I John 3:2 – 3  – “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

For those of us who believe the church will be raptured prior to all of the signs that are yet to take place, His return could be at anytime or years from now.  So be alert!  Satan’s fallen spirits and demons are just as much deceivers as he is.  Don’t fall for those egotistical false teachers who will try to convince you that God has told them a specific day when He wouldn’t even tell Christ, His Son or any of the angels.